Bronze plaques unveiled on Split waterfront for medal-winning heroes

by croatiaweek
May 17, 2023
in Sport

Bronze plaques unveiled on Split waterfront for Deaflympics and Paralympic medal winners (Photo: Grad Split)

On the western end of the Split waterfront, bronze plaques were installed to honour local medal winners at the Deaflympics and the Paralympic Games.

We know that Split has always been a city of sports, but yesterday the people of Split were particularly proud of their city and fellow citizens.

A ceremony was held on Tuesday on the western end of the Split waterfront to commemorate the installation of plaques honouring the medal winners from Split at the Deaflympics and Paralympic Games.

(Photo: Grad Split)

Despite the unfavorable weather conditions for this time of year, this historic moment brought together numerous athletes, medal winners, club members, representatives of municipal and public institutions, and the mayor of Split, Ivica Puljak, ceremoniously unveiled a total of 21 bronze plaques honouring the medal winners from Split at the Deaflympics.

Mayor Ivica Puljak (Photo: Grad Split)

(Photo: Grad Split)

The Split City Council adopted a resolution on December 18, 2021, based on which a proposal for the installation of bronze plaques with the names of Split’s Paralympic and deaf athletes who won Olympic medals was prepared. After preparatory work, including stonecutting and construction, design and technical preparation, as well as production and installation of the bronze plaques, this commendable project has now been realized, to the pride of not only the deaf Olympians from Split but also all the residents of the city beneath Marjan Hill.

(Photo: Grad Split)

The medal winners at the Deaflympics whose plaques have been installed are: athletes Božidar Tironi and Marica Puškarić, footballer Josip Radić, handball players Blaženka Sinovčić, Milka Dujić, and Marija Milas, handball players Boško Kevo, Marko Delić, Petar Ljubić, Marijo Lušić, Dragan Firić, Roko Kvesić, Mario Bašić, Pero Jukić, Oliver Lušić, Ilija Perak, Marjan Turković, Mateo Perak, and Patrik Radić, as well as Matea Kolovrat and Petra Goleš from taekwondo.

The Deaflympics were first held in 1924. The first medal was won by the Split athlete Božidar Tironi in 1949, and since then, until the most recent Deaflympics, the deaf Olympians from Split have won a total of 30 gold, 4 silver, and 12 bronze medals in four different sports: handball, football, athletics, and taekwondo.

(Photo: Grad Split)

The President of the Croatian Deaf Olympians Club, Mr. Marijo Lušić, stated, “On behalf of myself and all the deaf Olympians from Split, I thank you for your support and the respect shown towards deaf sports. By installing these plaques, you have recorded our achievements for eternity, and I hope they serve as inspiration to future generations. We promise that through our efforts and future sporting successes, we will continue to fill your hearts with pride.”